Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students.
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- All Subjects: Developmental Psychology
Description
Currently, Latino youth are reporting greater academic achievement compared to prior decades; however, they continue to drop out of high school at higher rates compared to their peers. Given that Latino youth will soon take on adult roles in society, it is important to explore resources that can help them reach their academic potential, while also considering ethnic-racial discrimination as a barrier. Prior work has highlighted the benefits that family ethnic socialization experiences (FES), and having an informed understanding of ones’ ethnic-racial identity (ERI achievement) can provide for Latino youths’ academic adjustment. However, additional work is needed to examine contextual factors that may inform Latino parents’ FES engagement. Furthermore, limited work has explored the variability in how Latino youth experience these and other cultural resources, and in turn, how they inform youths’ academic adjustment. In Study 1, I explored whether Mexican-origin mothers’ and fathers’ workplace discrimination informed youths’ academic adjustment via parent-adolescent relationship quality, mothers’ and fathers’ FES, and youths’ ERI. Findings suggest that mothers and fathers who experience more frequent workplace discrimination engage in more FES, and mothers’ (but not fathers’) FES was associated with youths’ higher ERI achievement. Furthermore, greater mother-adolescent conflict was associated with lower academic adjustment. Overall, findings have implications for understanding how youths’ developmental competencies are informed by their familial relationships, and their parents’ experiences with workplace discrimination.
In Study 2, I utilized person-centered analyses to examine whether distinct typologies emerged based on Latino youths’ experiences with FES, ERI, and emotional support from Latino and non-Latino peers. Findings revealed three profiles of cultural resources. Furthermore, youth who reported the highest levels of all cultural resources demonstrated better academic adjustment compared to youth with low to moderate levels of resources, but not compared to youth with more moderate levels of resources. Finally, profile membership moderated the association between youths’ ethnic-racial discrimination and academic adjustment; however, the profile that provided protective effects varied by academic adjustment indicator. Overall, findings provide a nuanced understanding regarding the promotive and protective effects that cultural resource profiles can have for youths’ academic adjustment.
ContributorsMartinez-Fuentes, Stefanie (Author) / Updegraff, Kimberly A (Thesis advisor) / Umaña-taylor, Adriana J (Thesis advisor) / White, Rebecca M.B. (Committee member) / Bradley, Robert (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
Prosocial behavior refers to voluntary acts done to benefit another. To date, there is little work examining children’s prosocial behavior toward outgroup members. Across several multi-method multi-informant data sets, I used various statistical methods (e.g., latent change score analysis, mediation and moderation analyses) to examine the predictors, correlates, and development of children’s prosocial behavior toward various outgroup members (e.g., gender, race). In Study 1, I examined the relation between preschoolers’ other-gender friendships and their prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers. Findings showed support for the hypothesis that cross-gender friendships are positively associated with children’s prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers over time. Further, children’s prosocial behavior toward other-gender peers positively predicted children’s later gender attitudes suggesting that fostering intergroup prosocial behavior could be a potentially effective solution to reduce intergroup prejudice. To capture the multifaceted nature of social identities, in Study 2, I examined children’s prosocial behavior toward various ingroup and outgroup members with the intention of exploring the degree of ingroup-ness and testing the transfer effect of intergroup contact. Findings showed that cross-gender friendships were positively predictive of school-age children’s prosocial behavior toward diverse others. Further, cross-race friendships are related to children’s diverse prosocial behavior indirectly through children’s race-based sympathy. Study 3 extended the previous two studies by testing both Intergroup Contact Theory and Social Identity Theory and taking into consideration the social identity of oneself (versus the targets of prosocial behavior). Specifically, I examined the central component of gender identity: children’s perceived same-gender similarity and other-gender similarity, as well as children’s same- and other-gender friendships. Results showed that only intergroup friendships, but not children’s gender identity, were related to children’s prosocial behavior toward same- and other-gender peers. In sum, this basic research has potential to shed light on ways to promote equity and inclusion across various social groups early in development.
ContributorsXIAO, XINYUE (Author) / Spinrad, Tracy L (Thesis advisor) / Martin, Carol Lynn (Thesis advisor) / Eisenberg, Nancy (Committee member) / DeLay, Dawn (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Drawing upon the theoretical framework of Cooley’s (1902) “looking-glass self” model, the current study examined how affective dimensions of parenting in adolescence contribute to psychopathology in early adulthood through the mediating mechanism of authenticity – one’s level of comfort with being oneself. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), a three-class solution was identified, classifying inadequate, adequate, and optimal profiles of parenting in adolescence. Class membership was used in a multilevel mediation structural equation model to examine longitudinal links with authenticity and psychopathology (e.g., internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse disorders) in early adulthood. Results demonstrated that optimal compared to inadequate parent-adolescent relationship quality was directly linked to higher levels of authenticity, which in turn, was directly linked to lower levels of all forms of psychopathology in early adulthood. Results also indicated that authenticity fully mediated the link between profiles of parent-adolescent relationship quality (e.g., grade 12) and internalizing, externalizing, and substance abuse disorders in early adulthood (e.g., four years post-college). In conclusion, the current study demonstrated the influence of affective dimensions of parenting profiles in adolescence on the development of psychopathology in early adulthood via the mediating mechanism of authenticity. Moreover, findings from the current study suggest that authenticity is a critical feature shared in common among various forms of psychopathology. Finally, clinical implications are discussed regarding the potential effectiveness of evidence-based psychotherapies aimed at the promotion of authenticity as a mechanism for improving mental health and well-being.
ContributorsEbbert, Ashley Marie (Author) / Infurna, Frank J (Thesis advisor) / Luthar, Suniya S (Committee member) / Grimm, Kevin J (Committee member) / Krasnow, Aaron D (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The goal of this study was to illuminate areas of strength within a sample of Hispanic, Spanish-speaking children (n = 446) from the early head start research and evaluation project, a multi method, multi reporter longitudinal study that involved children starting at 14-months through pre-kindergarten, with a 5th grade follow up assessment. A longitudinal path model examined relations between external factors (i.e., parent warmth and responsivity, home cognitive and language environment, child-directed speech), and internal factors (i.e., child self-regulation), and Spanish language before kindergarten, and English language at 5th grade. In addition to direct paths, indirect paths were included from external factors to language outcomes through self-regulation and Spanish language. After controlling for important demographic variables, analyses indicated that parents’ warmth and responsivity was directly related to children’s self-regulation and children’s English language proficiency in 5th grade. Home environment and self-regulation were directly related to children’s Spanish language proficiency. Children’s Spanish language proficiency was directly related to English language proficiency. Significant indirect effects emerged between parent warmth and responsivity to both Spanish and English language via children’s self-regulation. Results additionally evidenced significant indirect paths from home environment and self-regulation to English language through Spanish language. Direct paths between parent warmth/responsivity and Spanish language, home environment and English language, and child-directed speech and child regulation, Spanish language, and English language were not significant. Implications include current and future interventions targeted at bolstering parent-child interactions and regulation skills and to promote early educational programs supportive of both heritage and second languages.
ContributorsLopez, Jamie Theresa (Author) / Spinrad, Tracy (Thesis advisor) / Bernstein, Katie (Committee member) / Bradley, Robert (Committee member) / Swanson, Jodi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
Young children reared in a dual language environment typically experience and learn a heritage and societal language and culture from their caregivers. Given that culture and language use are strongly intertwined, recent research has begun to explore caregiver cultural orientation as a potential influence on children’s dual language development but currently disregards whether cultural orientation influences language development directly and indirectly through caregiver language input. This longitudinal study examines a sample of Mexican-American mothers and their children (N=299) from low-income households to examine 1) how maternal language input at child age 24 months and children’s dual language knowledge at 36 months are associated; and 2) whether maternal language input mediates the link between maternal cultural orientation at child age 9 months and children’s dual language knowledge. Results showed that mothers’ quantitative and qualitative language features were strongly correlated within a language and were positively linked with children’s knowledge in the corresponding language. The path analysis revealed that maternal Anglo cultural orientation indirectly predicted children’s English vocabulary scores mediated by maternal English language input, whereas Spanish language input did not mediate the link between mothers’ Mexican cultural orientation and children’s Spanish knowledge. This study provides novel insights into the cascading effects of infants’ early cultural and language environments on their emerging dual language skills.
ContributorsCastellana, Marissa (Author) / Benitez, Viridiana L (Thesis advisor) / Bradley, Robert (Committee member) / Grimm, Kevin (Committee member) / Lucca, Kelsey (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Description
This study aimed to advance understanding of the relation between social media and adolescent alcohol use while accounting for offline peer alcohol use, exploring offline peer alcohol use separately as a covariate and as a moderator, with an additional exploratory analysis of the relation between social media and alcohol use without offline peer alcohol use in the model. A total of 868 students (55% female) in grade 7 (n = 468) and grade 8 (n = 400) at wave 1, self-reported on alcohol use, binge drinking, and social media use as well as nominated friends from their school and grade. Data from nominated peers who also completed the questionnaires were used for peer-report of alcohol use. Data were collected annually from students at grades 8, 9, 10, and 11 were used in analyses. Final structural models consisted of a cross-lagged panel design with saved factor scores for social media and peer alcohol use predicting a categorical alcohol use variable or a binary binge drinking variable. With offline peer alcohol use as a covariate in the model, social media did not prospectively relate to subsequent grade alcohol use or binge drinking. However, without offline peer alcohol use, the path from social media use to subsequent grade alcohol use was significant but not the path to binge drinking. Offline peer alcohol use did not significantly moderate the relation between social media and subsequent grade alcohol use or binge drinking.
ContributorsCurlee, Alexandria Stephanie (Author) / Corbin, William R. (Thesis advisor) / Chassin, Laurie (Committee member) / Doane, Leah D (Committee member) / Grimm, Kevin J. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The current dissertation focused on the risks and rewards of the digital context in adolescent romantic relationships. Adolescent romantic relationships are a pivotal developmental milestone and a foundation for future relationship functioning. Thus, it is vital to understand how adolescents function within their romantic relationships to identify potential intervention points that can improve adolescents’ relationship skills. Adolescents frequently utilize technology within their relationships, with positive and negative implications. Thus, the digital context is an important area of research for adolescent romantic relationship functioning. The neo-ecological theory and the transformation framework help contextualize the digital context's impact on adolescent romantic relationships. The first study utilized two experiments to test the effects of an adolescent’s romantic partner hypothetically ”liking” a digital relationship threat’s Instagram post on their feelings of jealousy and digital dating abuse behaviors. Adolescents reported greater feelings of jealousy and engagement in digital dating abuse behaviors when their romantic partner “liked” a post from a different-gendered individual, and effects were exacerbated when that individual was high on attractiveness. While the digital context may serve as a risk context for adolescent relationships, the risk conferred may depend on the couple's functioning. Thus, the second study examined how sexting among adolescent couples was associated with their daily affect. Results demonstrate that while sexting may boost an adolescent’s affect on the same day, it is related to worse affect as the days pass. Lastly, the digital context can also be an external stressor that impacts the relationship. Thus, the third study examined how daily digital stress exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with late adolescent romantic couples’ substance use and mental health. This study examined actor and partner effects to assess the dyadic nature of stress contagion between romantic partners. This dissertation advances the current literature on associations between the digital context, adolescent development, and adolescent romantic relationship functioning.
ContributorsQuiroz, Selena (Author) / Ha, Thao (Thesis advisor) / Corbin, William R (Committee member) / McNeish, Daniel (Committee member) / Iida, Masumi (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Systems of oppression like racism and colonialism pose significant threats to Asian Americans’ development and mental health, and education has been used to perpetuate these oppressions worldwide. Ethnic Studies education, which focuses on the first-person perspectives of racially minoritized groups, is a promising anti-racist educational intervention that may yield two psychological benefits that can prepare Asian Americans to navigate and challenge systems of oppression: sociopolitical development and radical healing from oppression. As the sociopolitical climate around diversity education becomes increasingly polarized and as research on the developmental benefits of Ethnic Studies education grows, quantitative research is especially imperative to corroborate qualitative research, support research-driven educational policy, and explore the extent to which Ethnic Studies education contributes to anti-racist youth development and social transformation. This dissertation quantitatively explores Ethnic Studies education as an educational intervention for anti-racist youth development and mental health promotion among Asian American college students (N = 254). Asian American students enrolled in college Ethnic Studies courses in 2022 were surveyed at the beginning (i.e., pre-test) and end (i.e., post-test) of their Ethnic Studies course. Study 1 utilized latent transition analysis to examine Asian American critical consciousness development among Ethnic Studies students. Profiles were differentiated by Asian American-specific and general critical consciousness indicators. Profile membership was predicted by various demographic factors and prior familial and school racial-ethnic socialization. In terms of transitions over time, most students who were in pre-test latent profiles with high scores across critical consciousness indicators transitioned into post-test latent profiles with higher average scores on critical consciousness indicators. Study 2 applies the latent profiles identified at post-test in Study 1 and found that psychological assets related to radical healing help explain differences in psychological distress between latent profiles. Implications for future research and educational practice for promoting individual and collective well-being in the context of oppression are discussed. Taken together, these studies offer quantitative support for Ethnic Studies education’s potential as an intervention to bolster Asian Americans’ sociopolitical development and propensity for radical healing.
ContributorsSaavedra, Jean Abigail (Author) / Yoo, Hyung Chol (Thesis advisor) / Jager, Justin (Committee member) / Sacramento, Jocyl (Committee member) / Seaton, Eleanor (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
Appearance-related self-esteem is a facet of body image that encompasses the evaluative components of an individual's self-concept that pertains to their own physical appearance. Knowledge regarding how appearance-related self-esteem functions in adolescent social groups is scant in the literature and there is limited research using linear methods suggesting that adolescents can influence the appearance-related self-esteem of their peers. Given the negative consequences of negative feelings about one's appearance later in life, I examined how appearance-related self-esteem develops and relates to adolescent social processes during the transition to middle school. This dissertation investigated how appearance-related self-esteem related to the social processes of selection, similarity, and influence. I further explored the effect of gender on social processes and appearance-related self-esteem. Appearance-related self-esteem was not related to social processes of selection, similarity, or influence. Gender similarity was present in the network, such that adolescents were more likely to select same-gender peers than other-gender peers. Additionally, an effect of gender on appearance-related self-esteem was present, such that boys' appearance-related self-esteem increased over time more than girls'. Findings from the current dissertation provide foundational first steps in identifying the ways that peers impact appearance-related self-esteem during adolescence and provide insights toward understanding how different gender pathways around appearance-related self-esteem may develop over time.
ContributorsHoffer, Aubrey Linn (Author) / DeLay, Dawn (Thesis advisor) / Martin, Carol (Committee member) / Hanish, Laura (Committee member) / Markey, Charlotte (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
The Wham-Womb Sound Symbolic Effect: English-Speaking Children and Adults Link Phonemes with Arousal
Description
Sound symbolism—the association between word sounds and meaning—has been shown to be an effective communication tool that promotes language comprehension and word learning. Much of the literature is constrained to investigating sound as it relates to physical characteristics (e.g. size or shape), and research has predominantly studied the phenomenon in adults. The current study examined the sound symbolic wham-womb effect, which postulates that words with the /æ/ phoneme are associated with increased arousal while words with the /u/ phoneme are associated with little to no arousal. The effect was tested in both adults and children aged 5-7 years old using a word-to-scene matching task. Participants were presented with two pseudowords (differing only by their vowel phoneme: /æ/ or /u/; e.g. smad and smood) and two scenes depicting an animal in either a more arousing or less arousing situation. Participants were then asked to match which of the scenes fit one of the pseudowords. Results showed that the trial-by-trial performance for adults and children were significantly greater than chance, indicating that the wham-womb effect is exhibited in both adults and children. There was also a significant difference in performance between adults and children, with adults showing a more robust effect. This study provides the first empirical evidence that both children and adults link phonemes to arousal and that this effect may change across development.
ContributorsKuo, Jillian Elaine (Author) / Benitez, Viridiana (Thesis advisor) / McBeath, Michael (Committee member) / Scherer, Nancy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024